Arsenal were once again left frustrated by Liverpool as Saturday's 1-1 draw dealt a near fatal blow to their fading Premier League title hopes.

Just three days after their European tie ended all square, both teams were back at the Emirates Stadium to do battle for league points.

Each manager made several changes, no doubt with one eye on next week's second leg of their Champions League quarter-final, but there was still more than enough talent on display to make for an entertaining encounter.

Recalled striker Peter Crouch gave Liverpool the lead at the end of the first half, with Nicklas Bendtner levelling on 54 minutes.

However, with Manchester United, who play at Middlesbrough on Sunday, still five points clear at the top of the table, Gunners boss Arsene Wenger knew only victory would have kept their slim hopes of the title alive.

The trip to Anfield on Tuesday night now takes on extra significance if a season which promised so much is not to end in disappointment.

Liverpool started well and Crouch soon tested Manuel Almunia, letting fly from 25 yards and forcing the Arsenal goalkeeper to make an acrobatic one-handed save to tip the ball over.

Crouch was involved again in the 17th minute, this time slipping an expert pass inside the Arsenal backline. John Arne Riise ran onto the ball but, with William Gallas sliding in, the Norwegian lifted his 18-yard shot over the crossbar.

It was proving to be something of a chess match, with both teams happy to wait each other out and look for a quick counter-attack.

After 31 minutes, Liverpool broke down the right, with Yossi Benayoun getting in on the overlap. However, his angled drive flashed across goal.

It should, though, have been 1-0 when, after 35 minutes, the Gunners broke quickly through Mathieu Flamini and Theo Walcott. The ball fell to Bendtner just inside the area but the Dane's first-time shot was weak and straight at a grateful Reina.

The home side were made to pay with three minutes left to the break when Crouch put Liverpool ahead. The England striker headed down a long clearance from keeper Pepe Reina, which Benayoun flicked on.

Crouch collected the ball on his chest and turned inside Arsenal captain William Gallas before drilling his shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the area.

Former Gunner Jermaine Pennant was booked on 53 minutes for bundling over Armand Traore as the full-back looked to get away down the left and Arsenal were level from the resulting free-kick.

Again Fabregas was the provider as he sent over a deep cross into the six-yard box

where Bendtner timed his run towards the near post perfectly and powered a header into the net.

The relief around Emirates Stadium was clear as the Arsenal faithful suddenly found their voice.

At 1-1, both managers decided to bring on their big guns in an effort to break the stalemate - on came Emmanuel Adebayor and Aliksandr Hleb for Arsenal and Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard for Liverpool - but it was a third Liverpool substitute - Andriy Voronin - who had the best chance to snatch all three points.

But the Ukrainian striker, making his first appearance since a lengthy layoff through injury, looped the ball tamely over the bar with ten minutes remaining.

Team Talk / Eurosport